Virginia and Maryland are two of the 45 states that saw their unemployment rates fall in January. The District of Columbia also saw the unemployment rate drop to just under ten percent for the first time in 29 consecutive months.
Although the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states the District’s unemployment rate dropped to 9.9 in January, the number of jobs lost should also be taken into incorporated when considering statistics. According to the BLS, D.C. lost .8 percent of its jobs in January.
This doesn’t mean the District didn’t show improvement. Quite the contrary actually with payrolls in 2011 growing by 7.3 percent and construction payrolls growing by 9.1 percent.
The U.S. Department of Labor had better news for the residents of Maryland. Their unemployment is down to 6.5 percent, the lowest rate Maryland has seen in 3 years.
“Since January of last year, Maryland continued to create jobs, adding 39,800 jobs and 32,600 jobs in the private sector alone. Our unemployment rate was driven down to 6.5 percent, the lowest we’ve achieved in three years and nearly 2 percentage points below the national average” said Governor Martin O’Malley in a statement. “This steady progress in job creation is a positive sign that Maryland continues to move forward. Maryland has now recovered 69 percent of the jobs lost during the Bush recession (compared to 39 percent for the nation overall). The most important job we create is the next one. There is more work to be done. That’s why our focus continues to be creating and saving jobs for Marylanders.”
Virginians are also experiencing an unemployment rate that’s at a three-year low. Sitting at 5.8 percent, Virginia’s unemployment rate is down from 6.2 in December and 6.4 in January 2011.
Virginia’s rate has been falling steadily since reaching its highest point of 7.3 in December 2010, expect for a period between July and September of 2011.
Maryland, Virginia, and the District all have unemployment rates under the national average of 8.3.
While 45 states and the District saw their rates fall, one state saw an increase while four others had no change.
